And it’s a flying start to this pivotal Hawks’ offseason
I’d have preferred Eric Maynor, but I’m not going to gripe. The Hawks took the guy they liked at the position of greatest short- and long-term need, and at this point I’m disposed to give Rick Sund and his chief aide Dave Pendergraft the benefit of every doubt.
The Hawks greeted the week not knowing if they’d have anyone to handle the ball next season. They’re covered now. If Mike Bibby and/or Flip Murray signs somewhere else, they’ll be OK. If Bibby stays, they’ll be better than OK. Heck, if they handle Marvin Williams properly, they just might catch and pass Boston as the third-best team in the NBA East.
Jamal Crawford was an inspired acquisition, one of those there-has-to-be-a-catch coups: A guy who scored almost 20 points a game last season for two guys who barely played. And Jeff Teague was only the slightest of reaches with the draft’s 19th pick.
Maynor, who went one spot later, is older and more refined and a truer point guard, but Teague is the greater talent. He spent two years under Dino Gaudio at Wake Forest, meaning he was only lightly coached. Teague has, as they say in the trade, an upside.
There was no big man in the draft apt to offer immediate help at No. 19. B.J. Mullens of Ohio State is at least two years away. He averaged 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in a so-so Big Ten. To borrow a description once made of Mean Joe Greene vis-a-vis a lesser defensive tackle: Al Horford would knock B.J. Mullens down and stand on him.
The Hawks loaded up at the place they could conceivably have been understaffed, and now the emphasis shifts: Marvin Williams becomes a greater priority than Bibby (or Flip), and that’s another bit of good fortune/great planning. Because Marvin is a restricted free agent. The Hawks can keep him by matching any offer. Bibby and Flip — and Zaza Pachulia — are unrestricted. They can just up and leave.
Loading ...But they should — “should,” I say — get something for Marvin. (Let’s not forget they should have gotten something for Josh Childress last July and didn’t, but I’m thinking that was a one-off.) The worst that should happen is a sign-and-trade. The more likely outcome is that Williams signs a one-year qualifying offer to remain a Hawk and then becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, and that wouldn’t be bad, either.
Retaining Marvin would mean five of the top seven players off a 47-win squad will stay together, and then factor in Crawford and Teague. And let’s assume the Hawks find the means to keep either Bibby or Flip. That’s not just stability. That’s a clear upgrade. And there was, given the looming personnel issue, no guarantee headed into the summer that the 2009-2010 Hawks would be nearly as good as their immediate predecessor.
And we’re seeing now that the best move the Hawks have made over the past 13 months had nothing to do with a player. Hiring Sund as general manager was generally viewed as a safe choice — not bad, but not brilliant. He started badly by letting Childress flit off to Greece, but every move since has been expertly handled. (Even the Hawks’ Round 2 pick — Sergiy Gladyr, a 19-year-old shooting guard from the Ukraine — could hit big in a couple of years.)
I’ve lived in Atlanta a quarter of a century, and much of that time I’ve devoted to tweaking the Hawks. But I’m not carping now, not even about the choice of Teague over Maynor. I’ve been given reason to believe this franchise is in capable hands. I’ve been given reason to believe in the Atlanta Hawks.
Yes, it feels a bit weird. But it also feels … nice.
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201 comments Add your comment
RA
June 27th, 2009
6:20 am
I guess I’m weighing in a little late on this one. First off, it’s nice to see Marvin Williams getting a little bit of love. Whether he ends up in an Atlanta uniform or somewhere else, he’s shaping into a quality player in this league, and it showed a lot of heart for him to come back from that back (no pun intended) injury the way he tried to do in the playoffs. And I’ll tell you something else, in the regular season,when healthy, he did as decent a job guarding Lebron James as you could ask anyone to do…
As for Acie Law IV, I think that he came into a very difficult situation. He came into an environment where the players had to produce instantly. No problem for Horford, but Law was not nearly as finished a product, and then he got bitten by the injury bug, and that was it. I’m glad he’s getting a chance to start over. As for Claxton, not necessarily his fault, but a disaster from start to finish.
I think Teague is coming into a situation where he can learn and grow and not be expected to contribute majorly in his first year, particularly if we can get Bibby or Murray back. He’s also coming into a situation where, while this is the last year of Woody’s contract, the head coach is not necessarily looking down the barrel of unemployment at the first three game losing streak of the season. I think Woody will be a little more patient with Teague because he can be…
Big Ray
June 27th, 2009
6:45 am
“I’m not knocking Acie Law in any way shape or form,” Woodson said. “But this kid [Teague] is what I’d call a true point guard. I gave Acie some opportunities, and it just didn’t work. That’s no knock on him as a player or me as a coach. Injuries probably hurt Acie the two years he was here, and honestly we just didn’t have the luxury of waiting on him when he first got here. We had to win.
“Jeff Teague has a different situation, and in some ways I think a better situation, in that we have a solid foundation of veterans here that he’ll be able to learn from and lean on. Make no mistake about it, he has the tools, and we need to provide him with the opportunity to become the player we think he can become.”
Interesting comments from Monsieur Woodson. The first paragraph is somewhat revealing (though not for those who were paying attention).
As for the last set of comments, Woodson should be held to that. Came out of his mouth first. At the same time, Teague needs to work hard on his game if he expects to get any playing time and help this team.
RA
June 27th, 2009
8:12 am
No doubt Big Ray, but at least Teague isn’t comming into a situation where the deck is already heavily stacked against his long term success. The emphasis in that sentence being long term…
NY Hawk
June 27th, 2009
8:40 am
If I’m the GM, this is how I approach the summer (in order, until we run out of cap space):
Got to resign Zaza – our only true center
Got to resign Marvin – our best wing defender and 3 point threat. Plus he’s a proven team player (I’d like to see him a little more selfish and aggressive, but that should come). He can be a star and we will rarely get an opportunity to get a star as our team keeps improving.
Have to get a true point to run the team and to mentor Teague – Bibby may be too expensive, and if so, I like J Jack as an option, another solid team player who is tough on D (In fact, I think its his fault we didn’t take C Paul a few years back – C Paul didn’t do jack against Tech).
I’d really like to see us resign Flip – I agree with above, he brings a confidence to the court that even Joe doesn’t have.
We also have to have to have another big man. Resign S Jones if we think he can continue to improve. Trade the rights to Chill and a future pick for one of the Clippers big men.
DHD
June 27th, 2009
9:06 am
Did Michael Jackson die? Wow…I hadn’t heard. of course, I hadn’t hear about Vick. A-Rod, Kobe, Manny or T.O. either.
E43
June 27th, 2009
9:11 am
im sorry but bibby is not coming back, im just being logical. if he did flip wouldnt play at all and at the same time teague would be downgraded to speedy claxton old spot at 3string.
The Truth
June 27th, 2009
9:16 am
For the benefit of Teague and giving him a fresh start, I’m going to reframe from talking about Woody’s stupidly in the off-season. That Acie comment he made was unnecessary. If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything. I know it will be hard, but we have got to turn the page of this guy poor handling of PGs. May the force be with me.
Big Ray
June 27th, 2009
9:22 am
RA,
I hear you.
The Truth,
Everytime you try and lay off him, and give the man the benefit of the doubt, he goes and says something messed up. May the force be with us both.
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
11:01 am
And here y’all thought I was making it up about Woodson not being a fan of Acie’s.
ILL-logical
June 27th, 2009
11:11 am
ZaZa has the option of starting in San Antonio and being coached by Greg Popovich or sitting on the bench in Atlanta and being “coached” by Woodson. You do the math.
Woodson’s remarks about Acie and Joe showing up to greet Teague make me wonder what is going on ! When has Joe ever shown any off court leadership here in Atlanta? And the episode with Amare being wined and dined here and Woodson leaking the trade rumors re Josh foe Amare cannot sit well in certain quarters. There is a disturbance in the force.
ProudTechFan
June 27th, 2009
11:20 am
I could just punch the GM of Minnesota in the face for picking Lawson right before the Hawks pick. Then again he might have saved us the embarassment of not picking him even if he was there anyway. I thought he wouldve been perfect. With that said i still like Teague, dude can shoot, he is very quick i just hope he plays, cant afford to have another draft where the players dont contribute at all, example 06 draft of Sheldon Williams and AC Law, neither are with the team, and i believie Sheldon wont even be in the league in two years..
kd hawk
June 27th, 2009
11:55 am
Amare in a hawks uniform looks good to me
kd hawk
June 27th, 2009
12:01 pm
I like j smith and all, but he doesnt seem to understand he cant shoot. if he just defended and took the ball to the hole every time he would be a all star. but amare can beast down low and that way horford can stay at the 4 spot. if they dont ask for too much i say make the deal happen
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
12:48 pm
To go back to Big Ray’s point about Woodson’s evaluation of Teague: I’m not sure he’s any “purer” a point guard than Acie was. I know positively Teague wasn’t the college player Acie was — though Acie of course had the good fortune of working under the genius Billy Clyde Gillispie.
Kidding about the last part.
wxwax
June 27th, 2009
1:00 pm
Teauge is Jason Terry.
Same upside, same downside. A tweener whose aptitude doesn’t extend to playing point.
His best shot is coming off the bench as a burst of energy. Just like Terry’s role in Dallas. Teague will never be a starter in the NBA.
(Goshdarn, it’s amazing how quickly a man can become an expert by reading a few blogs here and there. Who needs to watch the games? They take too long.
)
Big Ray
June 27th, 2009
1:49 pm
Mark,
I sure found Woody’s words puzzling. But I’ll bet players feel the same way in a timeout huddle….
Uh..anyway, it’s strange that both were shooters in college, though Acie would probably have eaten Teague’s lunch in college. He’s bigger and stronger. Here’s to hoping that not only is Teague’s skin thicker, but he maintains confidence and a great work ethic, and Woody doesn’t do anything to damage him.
Maybe I should just settle for putting it all on Teague…
No More LA
June 27th, 2009
1:57 pm
I like Jamal Crawford – good player with a solid game. But he’s not a point guard. He’s a combo-guard. He’d be a perfect 6th man but he’s not cut out to be the floor general. If Atlanta manages to not re-sign Bibby, they’ll go back to being what they were before he showed up – A talented, under achieving 32-win ball club.
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
2:01 pm
Copy that, Big Ray. I was surprised Woodson was that, er, candid.
I like Crawford, too, and I think Teague has a future, but I’d agree with No More LA and WxWax that the optimum Hawks course is still to re-sign Bibby. (But I don’t know that Teague is as fast as Terry, who did, to be fair — and I was never a JT fan — have a good long run as the Mavs’ lead guard before he became the sixth man.)
RA
June 27th, 2009
2:26 pm
Here’s the bottomline. We’ll never know what Acie Law might have done in an Atlanta uniform because he never got the chance to show it. His first half-season in Atlanta he was stepped over for Ty Lue and Anthony Johnson. That in and of itself tells me that his days were numbered from the second the Hawks called his name on draft night. For whatever reason, Woody seems to like Teague,and that might give him something that Acie Law IV never had while in Atlanta, a fighting chance.
joe
June 27th, 2009
3:31 pm
we need to get stoudimire from the suns.
we give up josh smith and evans.
pg- bibby (teague) sg-joe johnson sf- marvin pf-horford c-stoudimire
bench- crawford, flip
Johnny Hazeltine
June 27th, 2009
3:37 pm
Amare to ATL
If the Hawks were to acquire Stoudemire, then they probably wouldn’t be able to resign Bibby, Marvin, and Flip. Truthfully, unless Evans was thrown in the deal, they probably would have to choose just one of the three.
It’s intriguing. Would you take one year to try and compete for a title, or continue to hope for the future, with good reasoning?
jazzyk
June 27th, 2009
3:49 pm
The Hawks are still undersized inside and need help in the low post. That was really apparent in the playoffs, especially the second round. Who’s available who could offer immediate help?
tree rollins
June 27th, 2009
4:09 pm
Love the Crawford pickup – it was a GREAT trade just to get anything for Acie and Claxton at all! Like the draft pick. Now sign Flip and we’re good to go. If we sign Bibby we might be overloaded at point. Not sure on that one.
The Truth
June 27th, 2009
4:34 pm
Big Ray, ILL-logical
I love these Star Wars analogies. Stay thirsty my friends
The Truth
June 27th, 2009
4:53 pm
Without using some kind of Chinese Arithmetic, I don’t see how Amare 17M/yr contract could get done in ATL. However, maybe we could S-T ZaZA and package him with Josh perhaps. Doable only if the Suns eat Josh’s Kicker.
Shamwow Man
June 27th, 2009
4:53 pm
If we get Amare we will have to trade Josh Smith bottomline.
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
4:58 pm
That Amare-to-Atlanta rumor just won’t go away, will it? What is this, the third consecutive summer?
And I don’t trust Stoudemire’s knees. I take a healthier, younger Smoove. But maybe that’s just me.
The Truth
June 27th, 2009
5:04 pm
Mark
I agree, stablity wise, Josh is the best option. However I would entertain Josh for Bosh in a heart beat. He maybe cheaper. But that’s just me.
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
5:13 pm
I’d do Josh-for-Bosh if the contract lengths were similar. But Josh has four years left, and Bosh is a free agent next summer. That’s the dealbreaker for me.
Wabe
June 27th, 2009
5:18 pm
I think some of you need to pop in the tape of the Wake Forest vs UNC games this past season…go see what he did to Lawson in his games vs the Tarheels this past season.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20090111_NC@WF/sportsprofileplus
I don’t think Teague is getting the respect he deserves. At the begining of the NCAA season, he led his team to an undefeated start running the point and they were the #1 team in the country. At that point, experts wouldn’t STOP TALKING ABOUT TEAGUE. He was often compared to Chris Paul and was being talked of as the best POINT in the country.
I’m not saying any of that is relevant, but go watch some game tapes of his games. He’s still young so he’ll make rookie mistakes, but I HONESTLY THINK he’s capable of stepping in as of NOW and starting for the Hawks. The Hawks have enough talent around Teague to make him rather successfull early.
Of course I’m probably wrong, but comparing him to J.T. is hilarious. He’s not as streaky of a shooter as J.T., and is much better driving to the rack than JT has ever been.
Wabe
June 27th, 2009
5:28 pm
I GAURANTEE IF WAKE FOREST DIDN’T JUST COLLAPSE THE WAY THEY DID AND FINISHED A BIT BETTER OR GOT DEEPER IN THE TOURNY – TEAGUE COULD’VE AND WOULD’VE PROBABLY BEEN A TOP 10 PICK.
Go look at guys like Johnny Flynn. Those guys didn’t necessarily have spectacular seasons – but they shined at the right time. Flynn was instantly put on the national stage after his 6 OT performance against UCONN in the Big East Tourney. He played alright in the tourney, but I don’t think he’s as prolific a scorer as Teague.
Johnny Flynn just reminds me of Rajon Rondo. I think that’s the type of gaurd he’ll be in the NBA. He’ll be thinking pass first – which isn’t a bad thing at the POINT. But I would think the Hawks needed someone whose a bit better creating for himself to help take some pressure off of JJ. A point gaurd with a scorers mentality – and that’s what Teague has over someone like Flynn.
Johnny Hazeltine
June 27th, 2009
5:39 pm
I don’t get it. I just don’t get it. What makes anyone think that Jeff Teague will be an efficient PG in this league? When was the last time a team took a sophomore in the middle of the first round based sole off of the potential that he could change positions when entering the NBA, and it worked? Am I saying Teague has no future in this league, no, but I am saying he’ll never be a starting PG in this league, ever. If the Hawks wanted a PG they should’ve drafted Maynor.
The Truth
June 27th, 2009
5:46 pm
Mark
I’m no expert but if the forces really wanted this thing done, it could get done. I say that because Bosh wants to move and Toronto wants something (anything) for him. Bosh would have to agree to a contract re-work via an extension to match Josh’s terms. Then we do a S-T packaging Josh with something else. The only real issue is Josh’s kicker; who pays for it. No doubt, it would certainly be a bold move by Mr. Sund and fill with mixed emotions from the fans. Talent wise, this is the only deal that makes sense involving Josh.
ILL-logical
June 27th, 2009
6:29 pm
Bosh to Atlanta only happens if Marvin, Josh Childress’s rights and Mo Evans are the deal. Bosh helps but he is not a center however,he gives you the Rasheed like presence that Sund and Woodson’s fantasy team is built around.: Josh Smith becomes Tayshun; Al is a bigger )and better offensively) Ben Wallace; Jamal or Bibby becomes Chauncy and Joe,if he is still here, Rip.I don’t see it but this 2004 Piston thing seems to be both of their stories and so far, they are sticking to it.
My star wars analogy is based upon the naked power play Woodson and Joe are running re :Amar’e for Josh. Both of these guys are short termers with regard to Atlanta and their actions may be tipping their hand to management. After all, it was Joe’s signing that triggered the break up of the BASG; if they believe that he is not producing the return on investment that they calculated-???
I ask again, how much time , energy and money has Joe put into the community since his arrival? Compare that with a Tom Glavine or Keith Brookings; there are leaders and then there are leaders.
Can't wait to see.....
June 27th, 2009
6:41 pm
Maybe a long shot but if we can sign and trade Marvin, Mo Evans, and a future pick to N.O., Phoenix, L.A., or Toronto…… we could look like this
pg/ Crawford
sg/ Johnson, Crawford
sf/ Smith, Johnson
pf/ Horford, Smith
c/ Chandler/ Amare/ Bosh/ Camby
bench/ Flip,Teague, ZaZa, and add a F/A or two
Also if some how we could leave Mo out in a deal like that we could add him back to the bench. Maybe if some crazy chance falls our way maybe Chill would come back. But you can always find a F/A. Just dreaming, but maybe the L.A. deal or N.O. deal could happen. Really doubt the Bosh thing though.
Plus I think Josh at SF would really disrupt a Lebron, Kobe, etc. We forget Josh gets up there and with a brick wall there behind him in Horford PF and a monster Center we will be a good defensive team. Who cares if Josh can’t score from the outside, because we have Joe, Jamal, Teague, and Flip to do that.
Grip
June 27th, 2009
10:11 pm
We have a few issues, Crawford makes way too much money to sit on the bench, everyone knows the spirit group’s situation. Can he man the Point?? Next I love J-smoove, but Al and him Starting is not What’s up!!! At some point one of them has to go to the sixth man spot, Josh is ideally suited for this role, would he do it, or does he make to much money for that type of roll?? Un load him and sign Gortat from Orlando and make him our Center. Marvin,J-Chills/Al/Gortat,Pachulia, that is a damn good Front Line, unload Marvin or Chills, if our money is tight and get 2 solid reserves. crawford,joe,marvin? Al, Gortat, Flip, Chills trade replacement, J-smoove replacement,Teague. 9 ballers all day long at a minimum, we easily could get 2 people in return for J-smoove or Childress, these moves can be questioned, but the jest of the issue is RICK SUND has pieces to move, he has no excuse. Billy Knight put us in position to have a good team, He needs to come thru. I am demanding a solid product this year.
ant banks
June 27th, 2009
10:25 pm
to all of the woody haters, eat crow!! after this season, woody will be re-up for a 2 to 3yrs extension. the hawks will definitely make the playoffs this year. at which seed, i don’t know. but if woody gets them to the playoffs 3yrs in a row, how can you argue against him bein’ the coach for the next 3 yrs?
i have the hawks tied in a 4way tie for the 4th seed. 4.Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, and Philly. don’t sleep on indy and washington this yr. either. i am also worried about new jersey and milwaukee and charlotte, too.
NO MORE BOBBY
June 27th, 2009
11:02 pm
Dang Mark! Do you ever sleep?
The Truth
June 27th, 2009
11:50 pm
Would Josh playing SF be an upgrade? I don’t think so.
mred1943
June 28th, 2009
12:45 am
AL HORFORD 6′10″ 255 lbs can jump KENDRICK PERKINS 6′10″can’t jump so why do the hawks need a bigger center there’s two seven footers playing behind him
Big Ray
June 28th, 2009
6:35 am
Ant,
According to Woody, that’s all Bibby’s doing. Hey, it’s in print, you can read for yourself.
Mark,
I agree. Optimal situation is re-signing Bibby. With Crawford around, we really don’t need Flip, whether Sund likes him or not. He’s proven his worth, meaning he should be able to get a job stateside, but if Bibby can be re-signed for around 6-7 mil per, and 3 yrs max, you’re then comparing Crawford to Flip. No contest…
The Josh for Amare (I refuse to put that ridiculous apostrophe in his name) talk will never quit until Amare lands on another team. There’s as much a possibility that he stays in Phoenix, but for some reason I think this is the year he really goes. Two things always hold him up, though. It’s not that he’s moody. It’s not that he’s an arrogant prick. It’s that his continued health is a question, and so is his contract status. No team will sign him as-is contract-wise unless they truly believe they can make a title run with him THIS YEAR.
Guess what? That’s not us. Sure, a lineup featuring him, Horford, Marvin, Joe, Crawford, Bibby, etc, sounds great. But is that REALLY a title-contender? Winning a title is not just about having enough talent, as the Lakers found out against the Celtics a year ago. It’s about having enough of the right talent, plenty of cohesion and chemistry, and a coach/coaching staff that knows how to get the most out of the guys they have. And basically knowing how to orchestrate the whole thing.
When you’re competing at that level, margin for error is very, very small. And you can second-guess everything you do. Do the Magic win if Van Gundy keeps Alston in there, instead of yanking him for Nelson? Just a rhetorical question, but also an illustration of how the Monday Morning Quarterback thing goes.
In the end, we are missing some of the components to a title-contending team. And not all of those components are players.
Shamwow Man
June 28th, 2009
7:59 am
Now with all of these trade MArvin posts I just have a few questions.
Is Marvin an offensive liability?
Is Marvin an defensive liability?
Is Marvin not a team player?
Has Marvin not improved his game every year?
Has Marvin gotten more shots every year?
How aggressive can a 4th option be?
Does Marvin not get to the line effectively?
Is Marvin not a 3pt threat?
Does Marvin turn the ball over alot?
IS this Marvin’s team or JJ’s team?
Shamwow Man
June 28th, 2009
8:11 am
If any of you guys think that Josh Smith can play SF you are out of your minds or you don’t watch real games!!!!!!! Josh SMith is a terrible man on man defender. He becomes more of a liability as a SF. He can’t shoot, he can’t dribble, he can’t play man on man D which are important skills to have as a SF. He needs to stay as close to the basket as possible. You actually want him on the perimeter taking jumpers. Getting one block a game doesn’t make you an all world defender.
Melvin Flowers
June 28th, 2009
9:08 am
We Need A Center, We Might Win 50 Games Or More.
Harford Is A 5 Man.
Hawks Mr Saund Please Bring In Some Needed Help.
We Need Not To See A Season Like The Braves for The Hawks.
Joe Johnson Is Some Times So As Mike Bibby. Keep Flip Trade Joe And Bibby Plus Zar Zar.
Melvin Flowers
Macon Georgia
kd hawk
June 28th, 2009
11:42 am
if anybody think that trading johson is the answer u are crazy. he may not be lebron, wade or kobe but he is the best thing the hawks have had in a long time. its only 2 players we CANT get rid of. Al and Joe. our only all star and our future all star. not unless somebody is gonna give up all star caliber players which i doubt. i been a hawks fan forever. i suffered thru all the garbage teams just like all he other true atl fans. we havent been decent in awhile. just make smart decisions. if we’re keeping the same team for the most part, please dont add anymore small forwards
Wink
June 28th, 2009
1:40 pm
We are off to a flying start, but nothing pivotal has really happened yet:
Rick Sund:
1. Good Move = Obtain Jamal Crawford – swapped two bench players for 20 point scorer. Insurance if he can’t sign Bibby & Flip. Also, insurance if we can’t sign Joe next season (that’s why Crawford has to agreed to not Opt Out his contract at the end of this season)
2. Not Sure Move = Jeff Teague – Woody still the coach. He does not play rookie point guards. Will sap the confidence of this player (see what happened to Stodermire & AC Law)Teague lacks size and does not aid perimeter defense. Woody also will negate the speed he would bring to push the ball.
3. Bad Move = Has not resigned any of our free agents-waiting to play mind games as he did with Chillz last year.
Coaching:
1. Woodson on a one year leash – which insures Teague will not play, guaranteed if Bibby is not resigned.
2. Woodson does not have the ability to develop players – Josh Smith game is not advancing and Woodson has lost control…no reason he should be bringing the ball up the court or putting up untimely 3 point air balls.
Draft:
1. Nothing gained – Teague will be at the end of the bench & Gladys will be in Euro league. (He will join our other wasted draft picks (Cenk – SG, Andersen – Center & Josh Childress – SF/SG)
Money: Is there enough to go around?
1. Our free agents – Marvin, ZaZa, Flip, Bibby, Solo
2. Free Agent as mentioned here: Hedo, Varejo, Chillz, Jack, Sessions, Mikki Moore, Gotat…
3. Who will we let go & will we EVER spend money on a REAL center.
Rebounding & Hustle:
1. Horford and ………….Mario West………..????
2. Who is best available from list above to help????
Defense:
1. On ball = Marvin William (Restricted FA)…..who else?
2. Off ball = Josh Smith…usually last line of defense is a Center….who’s watching basket?????
Playoffs:
1. Who defends the opposing center – Horford not equipped to handle half court post play? (Shaq, Howard, Dalenbert,Perkins, O’Neal…center with height & weight)
2. Who defends the attacking point guards…this usually starts with perimeter defense…Mario is our best & Bibby, Flip or Joe can’t get it done….who?
Yes, pivotal decision have to be made to give us the right balance to succeed in the regular season, and more importantly, to succeed in the playoffs…ie the Cleveland acquisition of Shaq was made with an eye towards the playoffs, same with Orlando bringing in Vince Carter. The good teams make think ahead for a successful result…where is our history says we do the same thing hoping to get a different result – Insanity!!
Welcome to Atlanta, Joe, Bibby, Flip, or I mean Jamal Crawford….remember only one ball is allowed on the court at a time!
ntrigue
June 28th, 2009
3:01 pm
Don’t trade Josh for amare that would be crazy!!!! What are u guys smoking??? If anything you would trade Marvin and rights to childress for Stoudamire. Josh Smith should not even be considered for trading. He’s one of the elite gamechangers on defense. Mark what our your thoughts on this?
HAWKMAN
June 28th, 2009
8:32 pm
WE DONT NEED TO TRADE FOR ANYBODY. ALL WE NEED TO DO IS SIGN ONE OF THE BIGS FROM THIS FA. POOL. R. WALLACE. D. GOODEN. D.ANDERSON. THESE ARE THE ONLY PLAYERS THAT WOULD HELP THE HAWKS. NO E. CURRY.AND PLAYERS LIKE T.CANDLER. M. CAMBY. C.KAMEN. ARE GOING TO COST US LONG TERMS DOUBLE DITGITS CONTRACKS. SIGN R.WALLACE,RESIGN M. WILLIAMS. AND NOW WE HAS BASE UNIT OF A. HORFORD. J. SMITH. R.WALLACE. J.JOHNSON. J.CRAWFORD. AND A BENCH OF M. WILLIAMS. AT THE 3.4.AND SOME 2.5. M.EVANS. 2.3. AND ROOKIE J. TEAGLE. 1.2.THIS UNIT WILL COST AROUND 60 MILLIONS, OR LESS NOT OVER.THATS AN 8 MAN ROTATION, OF ALMOST 6 TO 7 ALLSTARS CALEBURE PLAYERS. AFTER THAT SEE WHAT M.BIBBY AN ZAZA.AND F.MURRY. WOULD COST US. AROUND 10 TO 15 MILLIONS.LESS SEE 65 TO 75 MILLIONS FOR AN NBA CHAMPINSHIP WINNING TEAM. IS ABOUT RIGHT.
HawkKingBibby
June 28th, 2009
9:36 pm
Mark man these AMARE FOR SMOOVE RUMORS FROM ESPN wont go away. Do you think this is all smoke or are we going to have a guy who wears goggles on our roster July 1st ( and I dont mean Bo Outlaw )……
Mark Bradley
June 28th, 2009
9:40 pm
I’d lean toward more smoke right now, HawkKingBibby. But I plan to go to Jamal Crawford’s media session Monday at 1 p.m., and I’ll snoop around there.